As an HR consultancy we have the pleasure of working with businesses of all sizes advising on HR practices and helping management teams to achieve their best potential. In our workshops one of the issues that regularly arises is that many workplaces frequently experience difficulties in communicating about mental health problems.
Poor mental health costs UK employers an estimated £30billion a year which has led forward thinking employers to implement strategies to address staff mental illness, including Mental Health First Aiders and yoga in the workplace. While it’s fantastic to see these kinds of initiatives, it raises the question as to whether a workplace mental health review may go some way to stopping issues from occurring. At networking a few months ago, an ex-teacher told how her school decided that yoga in the workplace would be a great way to reduce staff burnout. “It was a great idea, except we were all stressed that we were pushing back our already heavy workloads for an hour of deep breathing and relaxation.” The ‘ex’ in her job description says a lot.
So, with Time to Talk Day on our calendars, what can employers do to encourage their team to open up and have a conversation about how they are doing?
Do a workplace mental health review
A good place to start is to find out if your workplace environment is contributing to the poor mental health of your team. Some good questions to ask include:
Does everyone understand their role and responsibilities?
A lack of clarity about job roles can increase stress amongst the workforce. Additionally, fuzzy boundaries about responsibilities and progression can also lead to confusion and worries about self-worth within the team. Setting development goals for every employee (and that includes business owners) can help to create a sense of purpose.
What’s everyone’s workload like?
The reason that the ex-teacher mentioned above stopped attending workplace yoga was because she had other ‘more important’ things to do. Her levels of stress were related to her workload. Assessing what she was required to do inside and outside of work would have helped to identify areas that she wasn’t coping well with and could have allowed her to enjoy yoga at work.
Does everyone have the skills they need to do their jobs?
Implementing regular reviews provides staff members with the opportunity to let their managers know where they may need some extra support or training. Filling knowledge gaps not only provides a sense of purpose but can also help to improve productivity.
Are the right communications channels in place?
It’s called ‘Time to Talk Day’ for a reason. Having good, open channels of communication throughout your business not only improves the way it functions, but also makes it easier to discuss mental health. If someone you barely knew or spoke to walked up to you and asked you if there was anything that was worrying you, it would be unlikely that you would tell them even if there was. Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, wrote in her book Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy, that simply changing “how are you?” to “how are you today?” can provide the opportunity for people to honestly reply.
How good are your managers at decision making?
Do management procrastinate in making decisions? Do things get forgotten or overlooked? Ineffective management teams can have a detrimental effect on employee mental health. It’s worth looking at how decisions are made and whether team members are listened to. At this point it may also be an idea to identify any team members who could benefit from management and leadership development training.
Is your workplace a nice place to be?
Psychologists have long suggested that mess and clutter can trigger stress and anxiety. Ensuring that your workplace is clean and tidy can significantly reduce workplace stress. When we say this, we’re not just suggesting that someone cleans out the teabag pot (most places have one) but that filing systems work well, that things can be easily found, and that the mugs are washed up every day.
By addressing the root causes of the problem it’s then possible to make good use of days like Time to Talk Day, after all talking about mental health can positively change lives. There’s a lot of truth in the saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. In much the same way that tending to a lawn or vegetable patch will lead to stunning results and yields, so nurturing your workforce will lead to improved health and a reduction in time off.
Don’t get us wrong, implementing ways to encourage team members to relax and providing Mental Health First Aid support is extremely beneficial in workplaces of all sizes, but without identifying underlying issues, they will just be a sticking plaster and won’t be a cure.
If you would like a member of our team to help you implement a Mental Health Review call us for a discussion today.